Dale Farm dairy co-operative secures cheese export deal to Japan
Hoko sells dairy and frozen foods into retail, wholesale and catering sectors. It will use Dale Farm cheddar in its cheese production processes, for products such as cheese slices, triangles, ready meals, and the food service market.
Stephen Cameron, group commercial director, Dale Farm, told DairyReporter.com the contract is part of the co-operative’s export growth strategy, which already has a presence in more than 40 countries.
Japanese appetite for dairy
“The majority of cheddar cheese is consumed in the UK, but the exports market for cheddar is one we’re keen to develop,” he said.
Cameron added the amount of dairy being imported by Japan has increased by more than 20% in the past year.
The group already exports protein powders and whey protein concentrate to Japan, but it is the first contract for cheddar cheese. The first order will be sent to Japan in December.
The contract comes following Hoko’s visit to the Dale Farm cheese making plant in Dunmanbridge in Northern Ireland earlier this year.
However, Cameron said he could not comment on the size or value of the Hoko contract.
Dunmanbridge cheese plant investment
The Dale Farm Group is a UK dairy farmer co-operative, which is owned by more than 1,500 farmers who supply the milk. It has operations in the UK and Ireland, and sells across the British Isles and worldwide.
Following a £50m investment programme for its UK processing plants last year, Dale Farm is now capable of producing up to 50,000 tonnes of cheddar a year.
The co-operative’s other products include milk, cream, butter, dairy spreads, yogurt, probiotic drinks, ice-cream and desserts.
